Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children Awarded as a 2012 Leapfrog Top Children's Hospital

The Leapfrog Group’s annual list of Top Hospitals was announced December 4, in Baltimore, Maryland, and included Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, DE, for the first time. The announcement came at Leapfrog’s Annual Meeting, focusing on transparency as the key to improved hospital safety, and Top Hospital Awards.

“This great honor reflects the excellent care provided to our patients and their families. Because of their commitment to safety and quality, everyone at duPont Hospital for Children shares in this impressive milestone,” said Kevin B. Churchwell, MD, CEO, Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children.

duPont Hospital for Children was selected as a Top Hospital out of nearly 1,200 hospitals participating in The Leapfrog Group’s annual survey. This year’s Top Hospital list includes a record of 13 Top Rural Hospitals, 67 Top Urban Hospitals, and 12 Top Children’s Hospitals. The selection is based on the results of the Leapfrog Group’s annual hospital survey, which measures hospitals’ performance on patient safety and quality, focusing on three critical areas of hospital care: how patients fare, resource use, and management structures in place to prevent errors.

The results of the survey are posted on www.LeapfrogGroup.org and open to patients and families, the public, employers, and other purchasers of healthcare.

“The Leapfrog Top Hospital distinction is by far the most competitive award a hospital can receive. Leapfrog holds hospitals to the highest standards on behalf of our purchaser members and their employees. By achieving the Top Hospital accolade, duPont Hospital for Children has demonstrated exemplary performance across all areas of quality and patient safety that are analyzed on the Leapfrog Hospital Survey. This hospital stands out as one consistently providing safe, high quality care, and I would be comfortable sending my family to Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children for care,” said Leah Binder, President & CEO of The Leapfrog Group.

As a 2012 Children’s Top Hospital, Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children achieved a Quality Score of 90 or better as calculated through Leapfrog’s Hospital Recognition Program. The Leapfrog Hospital Recognition Program uses standards from the Leapfrog Hospital Survey to calculate an overall quality score for each children’s hospital. The quality score, which is a numerical value from zero to 100, includes Leapfrog’s standards for preventing medication errors (CPOE), ICU Physician Staffing, Safe Practices, Never Events, and in some cases, preventing hospital-acquired conditions such as infections. Hospitals with high quality scores have demonstrated strict adherence to Leapfrog’s safety and quality standards. The Leapfrog website provides specific details about these calculations.

“This recognition is a true testament to the dedication of Nemours Associates, past and present, who laid the foundation for this achievement. We are so grateful for the work our Associates do every day to improve our processes and outcomes while providing the very best care for our children,” said Steven Lawless, MD, MBA, Vice President for Quality and Safety at duPont Hospital for Children.

"We are not perfect — no hospital is — but we are making great progress toward our goal of being error-free,” Lawless continued. “All of us at Nemours are humbled by
this incredible acknowledgment of our ongoing commitment to safety for every child
we treat."

About the Leapfrog Group

The Leapfrog Group is a national organization using the collective leverage of large purchasers of health care to initiate improvements in the safety, quality, and affordability of health care for Americans. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey allows purchasers to structure their contracts and purchasing to reward the highest performing hospitals. The Leapfrog Group was founded in November 2000 with support from the Business Roundtable and national funders, and is now independently operated with support from its purchaser and other members.

Established as The Nemours Foundation through the legacy and philanthropy of Alfred I. duPont, Nemours offers pediatric clinical care, research, education, advocacy and prevention programs to all families in the communities it serves.

If you see information that needs updating or if you encounter a missing page or link, please let us know.
To request an appointment, please contact us by phone.

If this is a medical emergency or if you have an urgent health-related question, please call 911
or contact your local emergency number.

Please do not submit personal medical information through this form. We cannot offer medical advice online.
We won’t use contact information you provide on this form for marketing or solicitation purposes.
Thank you for helping us.